Pitch pipes



1959 w. KRATT 2,871,748

PITCH PIPES Filed Aug. 2, 1954 INVENTOR Wimp? 15m BY ATTORNEY ilnited States Patent:

PITCH PIPES William Kratt, Union, N. J. Application August 2, 1954, Serial No. 447,013

2 Claims. (Cl. 84-456) This invention relates to pitch pipes.

Multiple tubular pitch pipes are made by assembling a plurality of metal tubes in side by side relation, soldering or otherwise joining the assembled tubes to each other, plating the tube assemblies and polishing the plated assemblies. Such construction obviously entails a substantial number of individual manufacturing operations, which increases the cost of manufacture, and furthermore results in a product which is non-uniform in appearance due to the difiiculty in plating and finishing the tubular assembly.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved pitch pipe construction which reduces the number of assembly operations, eliminates the need for soldering the reed holder tubes and avoids the non-uniform plated eltects of the assembled tubes.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved pitch pipe construction wherein individual reed holder tubes may be individually plated and finished in a uniform manner, said tubes being maintained in assembled relation by a unitary casing.

A further object of this invention is to provide in a device of the character described, a molded plastic casing of pleasing appearance and of minimum bulk for mounting therein a plurality of individual reed holder and reed assemblies in adjacent, side by side relation, the alternate assemblies having end portions projecting from either side of the casing, the casing further including stop means for limiting the longitudinal movement of the assemblies relative to the casing.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved pitch pipe including a molded plastic casing formed with tubular chambers to receive individual, plated metal reed holder and reed assemblies, allowing selected combinations of reed holders having desired tone arrangements to be associated with a particular casing, the casing providing at least one surface for receiving indicia thereon.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a pitch pipe embodying the invention, with parts cut away and parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring in detail to the drawing, designates a pitch pipe embodying the invention. prises a hollow, rectangular shaped, molded plastic casing 11. The casing 11 is formed with a plurality of adjacent, parallel substantially tubular chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 which extend between top wall 18 and bottom wall 19. The adjacent chambers 12-17 are defined by intermediate wall portions 18a which extend between top wall 18 and bottom wall 19.

The alternate chambers 12, 14, 16 on one side of casing 11 are formed with radial flanges 12a, 14a, 16a, respectively. Similarly, the remaining alternate chambers 13, 15, 17 are formed with radial flanges 130., a, 17a on the other side of casing 11. i

The same com- Each of the chambers 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 is adapted to receive therein an individual tubular reed holder 2b which carries a reed element 21 therein. The holders 20 are formed of brass tubing or the like with a bevel 22 at one end thereof. Such holders are individually plated, as with nickel or the like, and polished. A selected reed element 21 of a given tone of the musical scale, is force fitted into the holder 20. The element 21 is formed of metal in a Z shape, the intermediate portion 23 thereof being formed with a rectangular opening 24 and a vibratory reed 25 is fixed at one end and located over said opening. The offset ends 26, 27 of element 21 allow the same to be axially positioned in holder 20.

Each of the holders 20 and associated reed element 21 is fitted into one of the chambers in casing 11, the end radial flange of the chamber providing means for limiting the movement of the holder in the chamber. It will thus be apparent that alternate holders will project from either side of casing 11. Obviously, the casing 11 may be formed with any desired number of chambers to accommodate a given number of reed holders. Also, the reed elements in the several holders may be arranged in any desired combination of selected musical notes.

It will be apparent that the casing 11 provides improved means for mounting the several reed holders 213 as individual units which are preplated and finished before assembly in the casing. Thus, the need for soldering the holders before plating, is eliminated and the relatively poor plating operation on the soldered holders, is avoided. Furthermore, the casing 11 allows for more efiicient assembly of the reed holders, particularly when various combinations of reeds may be used with the same type of casing. The top wall 18 of casing 11 may be marked with the notes in alignment with the appropriate reed holders, the corresponding tones being obtained when air is blown into the beveled end of the holder. Other indicia, such as the manufacturers name, etc., may also be applied to either of the walls 18, 19.

As various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein described or shown shall be interpreted in an illustrative sense and not by way of limitation.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent:

1. A pitch pipe comprising a molded plastic casing comprising top, bottom and end Walls, and a plurality of parallel intermediate Wall portions defining a plurality of parallel tubular chambers having aligned ends on either side thereof, and an individual tubular reed holder and reed assembly mounted in each chamber, each assembly having a mouth portion projecting from one end of its chamber, successive assemblies having their mouth portions projecting from opposite ends of their chambers respectively.

2. A pitch pipe as in claim 1 wherein each of said chambers includes at the other end thereof a radial flange, the other end of the assembly therein abutting the flange thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Feb. 15, 1946 

